The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.
1974 United Artists, now owned by MGM.
Starring: Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo, Earl Hindman, James Broderick, Jerry Stiller
Director: Joseph Sargent
Available at Amazon.

A movie that has been remade in 1998 as a made-for-TV version, and a theatrical remake with Denzel Washington and John Travolta will be coming to theaters later this year.

During an ordinary day in New York City, a Manhattan-bound train from Pelham Bay Park is hijacked by four armed men, led by British mercenary Bernard Ryder (Shaw) and a former train operator named Harold Longman (Balsam). They kill two transit workers, then demand a random of one million dollars in unmarked bills within 60 minutes.

While the NYPD rushes to the scene (and loses time after getting into a collision), Lieutenant Zachary Garber (Matthau) negotiates with the hijackers. After the delay with the police car, Garber bluffs Ryder and his crew by telling them the money is already delivered to the station meet point, but some time is needed to walk down the tunnel to the hijacked car.

After Garber leaves to confront the hijackers himself, Ryder and Longman have disabled the train car's "dead-man" feature, and send the car speeding towards the terminal station after claiming the ransom money. The police chase the runaway car while the hijackers quickly leave the tunnel, but the subway car trips a red light break as it enters the South Ferry Loop, which stops the car, saving those passengers aboard it.

Can Garber and the police catch the hijackers before they can escape to freedom with a million dollars?

A pretty exciting heist movie. Recommended.